Enhanced Stability Systems for Tethered Drones

Retrieving personnel and objects from the ground using fixed-wing aircraft like drones or cargo planes. The method involves deploying a tethered stabilizer pod with sensors and thrusters from the aircraft to a specific location on the ground. The pod forms a spiral shape as the aircraft orbits above. The person can open the pod, don a harness, and signal when ready. The aircraft leaves orbit and slowly reels in the slack tether, lifting the person. Alternatively, the person can enter the pod and be winched up. This allows precise extraction from land or water without needing a VTOL aircraft. The pod can also be used for cargo delivery and rescue.

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Enclosed vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) bases to stabilize and protect VTOLs during ground operations. The bases have vertically oriented supports with cooperating stabilizers at the ends. The VTOLs have matching stabilizers that engage the base stabilizers. This provides angular stabilization during vertical takeoff and landing. The enclosed bases restrict vertical movement and increase air pressure inside. The bases have charging elements to provide power to the VTOLs before takeoff. This stabilizes the VTOLs, reduces ground effect turbulence, and prevents damage during ground operations.

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An aircraft that flies with a payload suspended therefrom, comprising a lift generating unit, a support member, a hoisting unit, and a relay mechanism. The relay mechanism includes a plurality of relay units that relay and support the support member between the payload and the hoisting unit, allowing for adjustable configuration and position of the load suspension to improve weight balance and stability of the aircraft.

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A tether management system for unmanned robots that maintains stable operation and extends range of use by controlling tether tension and behavior. The system comprises a module attached to the tether, which includes a winding and feeding unit, tension measuring unit, and posture measuring unit. The module communicates with a system controller to receive commands and transmit data, enabling real-time control of tether behavior and tension to prevent entanglement and maintain stable operation of the unmanned robot.

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A tethered unmanned aerial spraying system for firefighting and agriculture, comprising a plurality of UAVs connected by a rigid frame and supporting beams. The system features a control unit that adjusts thrust of each motorized propeller to achieve complex maneuvers and maintain stability. The system can be equipped with a large diameter hose for firefighting or agricultural chemicals, and features GPS modules for precise control. The supporting beams are pivotable and foldable for easy transportation, and the motors are tilt-adjustable for improved stability.

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A vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle with improved stability. The vehicle has main wings, front wings, linear supports, lift propellers, and dorsal fins. The dorsal fins are placed on the linear supports between adjacent lift propellers. This increases the vehicle's vertical cross-sectional area and stability in flight. The dorsal fins act as stabilizers when encountering air turbulence.

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Tethered aerial vehicle with fixed wings and drive assembly that achieves stable flight without active control surfaces. The vehicle uses a combination of aerodynamic lift from fixed wings and vertical propulsion from counter-rotating propellers to sustain flight. The drive assembly features a gimbal-mounted payload and a coaxial association with the propellers, eliminating the need for control surfaces. The vehicle's design enables reliable and affordable operation, with the ability to function as a kite in windy conditions.

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A VTOL UAV with a protective outer cage that prevents damage from external objects while maintaining stable flight and rapid corrective action during collisions. The UAV features a propulsion system with reversible thrust capability and a control system that generates stabilizing torques even when hinged on obstacles. The system includes sensors for orientation, displacement, and obstacle detection, enabling the control system to rapidly respond to disturbances and prevent catastrophic crashes.

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Aerial vehicle system that combines thruster stabilization with a supporting line to enable longer-range operations. The system comprises an aerial vehicle connected to a support line anchored to a remote point, with a winch system controlling line length. This configuration allows the aerial vehicle to maintain stability and maneuverability while extending its operational range beyond conventional limits.

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A powered parachute with an automatic center of gravity (CG) adjustment system that maintains stability during loading and unloading operations. The system dynamically adjusts the CG point by moving the suspension points of the parachute relative to the payload platform, ensuring equilibrium is maintained even when passengers or cargo are added or removed.

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Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with an integrated cable management system enables controlled ground-based tethering while maintaining flight stability. The system comprises a winch and cable unit with an extendable cable section, where the cable is connected to the winch and ground station. The cable section features a spool mechanism that automatically releases the cable during flight, eliminating ground friction and cable entanglement issues. The winch and cable unit is mounted on the UAV, enabling controlled release of the cable during flight operations.

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Tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system that enables autonomous flight independent of GPS, electromagnetic interference, and wind conditions. The system comprises a tethered UAV with an onboard angle sensor and a ground station with a preload assembly, where the angle sensor determines the UAV's position relative to the ground station based on the tether's angle of incidence and length. The preload assembly maintains a consistent tether load, allowing the UAV to maintain a stable position and orientation during flight.

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A tether management system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that enables extended flight times while maintaining a stable tether connection. The system features a rotatable spool with a slip ring, an angle arm that pivots around the spool axis, and an encoder that measures the arm's offset angle. The angle arm guides the tether while maintaining a center of mass aligned with the spool axis, ensuring stable operation even in dynamic environments such as ships at sea.

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A parachute system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that independently detects flight instability and deploys a parachute to stabilize the vehicle, providing a redundant safety mechanism to prevent crashes when the primary flight control system fails. The system includes a sensor, controller, and parachute that operate independently of the flight control system to detect and respond to flight instability, ensuring safe recovery of the UAV in emergency situations.

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